Automatic pin setter



oct. 13, 1925.

c. LORENZ Er AL AUTOIATIC RIN SETTER 2 Shee'rs-Sheet l Filed Hatch 18, 1925 Oa. 13, 192s. 1,557,177 C. LORENZ ET AL 7 AuTouATIc PIN SETTER Filed March l 2 Sheetg-Sheat 2 1e- 192s f 27%" Charles Lul-Enz Emy- Patented Oct. 13, 1F25..

rau 4r CHABLIS AND EMIL KUN'ISH, 0F IINITOWOC, WISCONSIN. A

AUTOMATIC? PIN SETTER.

Application led March 18, 11825. Serial No. 16,519.

elevating means for the fallen pins, diiculty has beenexperienced due to the fact that the elevatin buckets or paddles on the conveyor sometimes strike the ends of the pins and push them out of the way time after time without actually receiving the pin and elevating it, and further, if the pin has been received on the bucket or paddle of the elevator, it is not always correctly centered. Ob'ects of this invention are to provide a pin elevating and delivering mechanism for pin setting machines which avoids the above noted defects, and which is so constructed lthat it will receive the pins in the elevator buckets or shelves in a regular and orderly manner without any possibility of merely jolting the pin out of position without engaging it, and which will center the pin upon the elevating shelf of the conveyor as the pin is being raised, and which will insure the delivery of the pin from the mechanism with a predetermined end foremost in a proper manner to be received by the sorting means.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the elevating conveyor and the associated parts of the bowling alley.,

Figure 2 is a face view of the lower portion of the conveyor. y

l Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2.

Fi re 4 is a`view illustrating the delivery c ute from the conveyor in longitudinal section, such view being drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 4.

for turning the pins, such views showing various positions occupied by the pins with referenceto this cam or deflecting means.

Referringto the drawings, it will be seen that a bowling alley 1 has been provided with a downwardly slanting rear portion 2. This downwardly slantin rear portion forms a pit rearwardly of t e bowling alley and is provided with an abrupt step or shoulder 3, such step joining a downwardly slanting portion 4 and forming a recess 5, as shown clearly in Figure 1. Immediately rearwardly ofthe pit a rear straight wall slightly slanting and indicated at 6, is formed. This wall is just Hush with the forward ends of the elevating shelves 7 of the conveyor 8, as shown in Figure 1. Preferably, the conveyor structure has a central rigid portion 9 against which the rear ends of the members 7 or shelves of the conveyor 8 slide.

It is to be noted also from Figure 3, that the members 7 of the conveyor are guided between the side walls 10, and that these side walls are preferably provided with anti friction rollers 11.

An overhanging hood lower portion of the conveyor, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This guide projects outwardly beyondl the outline of the conveyor, and also projects laterally beyond the line of the sides of the conveyor and serves to automatically press the pins inwardly and to laterally center them upon the members 7 of the conveyor while the pins are. being elevated.

.The upper end of the conveyor is provided with a curved-upper hood 13, which discharges into a rect-angular box-like delivery portion 14. This delivery ortion 14 is shown in detail in Figures 4 an 5, and it will be seen that the delivery portion coniprises a. side wall 15 and a top wall 16. The side opposite the side wall 15 is just flush with the upper edge of the slanting bottom 17 of this delivery chute. It is to be particularly noted that the side wall 15 is cut away, as indicated at 18 in Figure 4, and is provided with a cam-like curved lip 19 preferably integral therewith'. It is to be tot noted further that the bottom 17 slants center it.

ward portion 21 of the bottom 17 is beveled downwardly andI also beveled to the side oposite to the wall 15, as shown most cleary in Figures 4 and v5.

The operation of the apparatus 1s as follows Assulning that a pin such as indicated in dotted lines at 22 as been knocked upon the slanting portion 2. This pin Slides down the slanting portion into the position indicated in Figure 1, and the upwardly traveling shelves or members 7 of the conveyor strike the lower end of the pin. If the pin does not roll squarely upon one. of the elevating shelves, it is clear that one of its ends will project downwardly such as indicated in Figure 1. Under these conditions one of the members 7 strikes such downwardly projecting end and rocks such pin 4 about the up r edge ofthe step 3 thus turning it unti its axis is parallel to the axis of the member 7. The pin then freely rolls upon one of the members 7 and is squarely receivedfthereon. While the pin is being elevated by the conveyor it may happen that the pin is not correctly positioned with the requisite accuracy upon the member 7 However, engagement with the hood or overhanging shield 12 will slide the pin securely upon vthe shelf 7 and also will laterally slide the pin and correctly It is to be understood that the head of the pin may point in either direction with reference to the members 7, the pin being subsequently correctly turned if it points 1n the wrong direction as will hereinafter be described. The pins are carried upwardly on the ascending side of the elevator and are lifted over fthe rigid central portion 9 and discharged into the chute 14.

The pin then slides along the chute 14 iother head rst or base irst as the case may If the pin slides base first down the chute 14, the large base merely strikes the laterally curved defiector 19 and is deected laterally and downwardly and passes into the sorting means or distributing means.

However, if the pin slides head irst down the chute 14 the relatively small head 23 of the pin 22 passes beneath the deilector 19, as shown in Fi res 4, 5 and 6, and the neck portion catc es beneathl the defiector 19. This arrests temporarily the forward motion of the pin and causes it to roll in a counter-clockwise manner, as indicated in Figure 5 olf the beveled portion 21 and thus causes the discharge of the pin base first from the chute 14.

It will be seen, therefore, that a Wholly automatic elevating and delivering means has been provided for pin setting mechanisms which is so constructed that it will securely engage the pin after it has been' knocked into the pit, and which will center the pin correctly with reference to the elevator and also present the base first irres tive of its direction of travel vdown its elivery chute.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that the invention may be variousl embodied and is, therefore, to be limite only as claimed.

We claim:

1. In an automatic pin setting machine for bowling alleys, the combination of a bowling alley having a downwardly slanting rear surface down which the dislodged pins are adapted to travel, said alley havinga depressed step provided with an abrupt edge adjacent its lower portion, and a conveyor provided with elevating flaps adapted to receive the pins, said conveyor bein located rearwardly of and adjacent sai step, said conveyor being spaced from the abrupt edge of said step less than the length of a pin, whereby a pm resting upon such abrupt edge will be dislodged by said conveyor and will roll on to said conveyor.

2. In an automatic pin setting machine for bowling alleys, the combination of a bowling alleyT having a downwardl slanting rear surface down which the dislodged pins are adapted to slide, an elevator located rearwardly of said slanting portion and having iiaps ada ted to receive said pins, and a gulde adjacent the ascending ortion of said elevator and having inwardy converging walls adapted to slide any projecting pins into correct positionupon the flaps as the flaps travel upwardly.

3. In an automatic pin setting machine for bowling alleys, the combination of a bowling alley having a downwardly slanting rear portion down which dislodged pins are adapted to slide, an elevator for receiving the pins from said slanting portion, a delivery chute for the upper end of the elevator for receiving the elevated pins and for guiding the pins in a elngthwise direction, said chute having a beveled and laterally slanting outer end, and a deflector plate adjacent the outer end of the chute, said plate being laterally curved for guiding the bases of thepins from said chute and having a curved cutaway lower portion for engaging the necks of the pins to cause the bases to roll from the chute, whereby said chute delivers the pins base-first under all conditions.

4. In an automatic pin setting machine for bowling alleys, the combination of a bowling alley having a downwardly slanting rear surface provided with a depressed step, a conveyor located adjacent said depressed step and having flaps for receiving the pins, guides located adjacent -the upwardly traveling portion of the conveyorl for centering the pins upon the flaps, a

downwardly slanting chute for receiving pins from said conveyor and for conducting the pins endwise awa from the conveyor, said chute having a eveled and laterally slanting outer end, and a laterally curved delecting plate at the outer end of the chute for deflecting the bases of pins from said chute, said deflector having a curved outa.- way lower portion for engaging and temw porarily holding the necks of plus and allowing their bases to roll o the beveled end of the chute, whereby the pins will be discharged from the chute base first irrespective of the direction of travel of the pins down the chute.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands at Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State of Wisconsin. A

CHARLES LORENZ. EMIL KUNISH. 

